The Press yesterday revealed that earlier plans for a hotel on the site of the former council offices had been scrapped in favour of a scheme to create 40 homes made out of town houses, mews houses and apartments.

The regeneration of the Grade II-listed building by property investment firm Rushbond is set to get underway by March next year, if approved by City of York Council's planning authority in November.

The work will coincide with the £4.1 million redevelopment over the road at York Theatre Royal.

Liz Wilson, chief executive of the theatre, said: "We are really pleased with the idea behind bringing the building back into residential use.

"It's great to have people living in the city as it really changes the character of a city centre when people reside in it.

"We are very excited about the plans and hope they are approved. The last thing we want is to be reopening our newly regenerated theatre with the crescent opposite looking like it does now.

"We will be working with the developers to ensure while work on both sites is carried out we don't look like a giant site of hoardings, and will be coming up with some creative solutions to avoid that."

Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museums Trust, which runs another of St Leonard's Place's neighbours York Art Gallery, said: "The proposed plans for St Leonard's Place will breathe new life into this fantastic crescent and it seems fitting that they should once again be homes.

"We believe the plans will enhance even further an area of York which is seeing much investment in the coming year, with the major developments at York Art Gallery and York Theatre Royal and the proposed changes to Exhibition Square."

The St Leonard's Place building, which was built in 1831 as nine town houses, will become five townhouses and 29 apartments, and a mix of six conversion and new build mews properties are planned for the rear of the main crescent.

June Hargreaves, a trustee of York Civic Trust, who worked from the building when she was part of York City Council's planning office, said: "I'm disappointed every time I pass that grubby looking build that nothing has been done to it yet, so I welcome these plans.

"From a Civic Trust point of view we will be pleased to see the building back in use, but it is important that any changes made recognised the historical importance of restoring it to what it should be."

Comments

Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.

It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.

Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.
It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.Jonothon

Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.

It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.

Score: 5

Anna Gramme
12:41pm Thu 21 Aug 14

Another day, another major improvement to York's built environment and the result ? Misery.

Another day, another major improvement to York's built environment and the result ? Misery.Anna Gramme

Another day, another major improvement to York's built environment and the result ? Misery.

Score: 21

rafa1961
7:28am Fri 22 Aug 14

Jonothon wrote…

Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.

It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.

Better still get rid of the cars, theres at least 30 cars for every bus and those 30 cars spit out more polution than a euro4 engined bus

[quote][p][bold]Jonothon[/bold] wrote:
Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.
It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.[/p][/quote]Better still get rid of the cars, theres at least 30 cars for every bus and those 30 cars spit out more polution than a euro4 engined busrafa1961

Jonothon wrote…

Can't see it working as luxury housing. No garage space and no gardens to speak of and front rooms overlooking the nosiest and most polluted bus route in town.

It does have the advantage of being close to McDonalds should the residents fancy joining the drunks for a midnight brawl amongst the litter.

Better still get rid of the cars, theres at least 30 cars for every bus and those 30 cars spit out more polution than a euro4 engined bus

Score: 15

Magritte
10:51am Thu 21 Aug 14

I see that York's Mrs Buckets (oops, Bouquets) are all in favour of it!

I see that York's Mrs Buckets (oops, Bouquets) are all in favour of it!Magritte

I see that York's Mrs Buckets (oops, Bouquets) are all in favour of it!

Score: -12

Dave Ruddock
11:25am Thu 21 Aug 14

Liz Wilson, even the best Builders in the World need scaffolding, etc etc God knows how that will be achieved , Janet , No one liked it then or know (Traffic). Ita a main artery road into the city and a very busy one.
The council and probably the York Corporation have used that building for many many years and let it full to a dilapidated state it is,
press try and publish a picture of the back of the property, its a Miss Match Mess. and who owns the old Ex Council office in Library Sq .

Liz Wilson, even the best Builders in the World need scaffolding, etc etc God knows how that will be achieved , Janet , No one liked it then or know (Traffic). Ita a main artery road into the city and a very busy one.
The council and probably the York Corporation have used that building for many many years and let it full to a dilapidated state it is,
press try and publish a picture of the back of the property, its a Miss Match Mess. and who owns the old Ex Council office in Library Sq .Dave Ruddock

Liz Wilson, even the best Builders in the World need scaffolding, etc etc God knows how that will be achieved , Janet , No one liked it then or know (Traffic). Ita a main artery road into the city and a very busy one.
The council and probably the York Corporation have used that building for many many years and let it full to a dilapidated state it is,
press try and publish a picture of the back of the property, its a Miss Match Mess. and who owns the old Ex Council office in Library Sq .

Score: -5

mmarshal
2:20pm Thu 21 Aug 14

I wonder how long it will take before the well healed occupants start to complain to the council about the noise of traffic and minster bells?

I wonder how long it will take before the well healed occupants start to complain to the council about the noise of traffic and minster bells?mmarshal

I wonder how long it will take before the well healed occupants start to complain to the council about the noise of traffic and minster bells?

Score: -1

Fanny Free House
3:17pm Thu 21 Aug 14

Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.

Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.Fanny Free House

Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.

Score: -34

Platform9
4:01pm Thu 21 Aug 14

June Hargreaves, a trustee of York Civic Trust "From a Civic Trust point of view we will be pleased to see the building back in use, but it is important that any changes made recognised the historical importance of restoring it to what it should be."

Should be nice to see how building plans are going to be passed?. When I worked there every alteration was restricted (original doors if removed, had to be stored for future use and refitment , certain rewiring had to be fitted externally to the wall and not chased into the plaster etc). Cant see them passing plans to knockdown walls or, in the case of the top-floor apartments, heightening the low ceilings (which were the servents quarters)?.

June Hargreaves, a trustee of York Civic Trust "From a Civic Trust point of view we will be pleased to see the building back in use, but it is important that any changes made recognised the historical importance of restoring it to what it should be."
Should be nice to see how building plans are going to be passed?. When I worked there every alteration was restricted (original doors if removed, had to be stored for future use and refitment , certain rewiring had to be fitted externally to the wall and not chased into the plaster etc). Cant see them passing plans to knockdown walls or, in the case of the top-floor apartments, heightening the low ceilings (which were the servents quarters)?.Platform9

June Hargreaves, a trustee of York Civic Trust "From a Civic Trust point of view we will be pleased to see the building back in use, but it is important that any changes made recognised the historical importance of restoring it to what it should be."

Should be nice to see how building plans are going to be passed?. When I worked there every alteration was restricted (original doors if removed, had to be stored for future use and refitment , certain rewiring had to be fitted externally to the wall and not chased into the plaster etc). Cant see them passing plans to knockdown walls or, in the case of the top-floor apartments, heightening the low ceilings (which were the servents quarters)?.

Score: 13

Martin true Viking
5:30pm Thu 21 Aug 14

They'll be superb along with the theatre and the art gallery. This city needs up grading and only investment companies and millionaire owners can do it. Be grateful. Why hasn't the front of the art gallery been cleaned by the cowboy builders it looks in cared for now the top of the scaffold has come down.

They'll be superb along with the theatre and the art gallery. This city needs up grading and only investment companies and millionaire owners can do it. Be grateful. Why hasn't the front of the art gallery been cleaned by the cowboy builders it looks in cared for now the top of the scaffold has come down.Martin true Viking

They'll be superb along with the theatre and the art gallery. This city needs up grading and only investment companies and millionaire owners can do it. Be grateful. Why hasn't the front of the art gallery been cleaned by the cowboy builders it looks in cared for now the top of the scaffold has come down.

Score: 13

smudge2
7:24pm Thu 21 Aug 14

Fanny Free House wrote…

Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.

This is utopia for pedalling paul (or Paul Hepworth) to have car free city so the brown anoraks can cycle till their little hearts are content free from the demon they call the automobile.

[quote][p][bold]Fanny Free House[/bold] wrote:
Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.[/p][/quote]This is utopia for pedalling paul (or Paul Hepworth) to have car free city so the brown anoraks can cycle till their little hearts are content free from the demon they call the automobile.smudge2

Fanny Free House wrote…

Computer generated image, not a bus or car in sight.

This is utopia for pedalling paul (or Paul Hepworth) to have car free city so the brown anoraks can cycle till their little hearts are content free from the demon they call the automobile.

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